Convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky granted hearing

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was granted a hearing to prove his claims that prosecutors lied and withheld evidence in the case in which he was convicted of child molestation.

Meanwhile, a court order in an insurance case involving Penn State included allegations that Penn State coach Joe Paterno was informed of sexual abuse by Sandusky in 1976, 1987 and 1988, Pennlive.com reported Thursday.

Pennsylvania judge John Cleland set the hearing for May 20 and said it would "provide the defense with an opportunity to prove" the allegations. Sandusky's defense team is seeking for charges to be dismissed or to get a new trial.

Sandusky,72, was convicted on 45 counts in 2012 and sentenced to 30-plus years in jail.

Solicitor general Bruce Castor, a legal constituent for the district attorney's office, told reporters that Sandusky's allegations aren't valid claims.

"Mr. Sandusky has nothing but time on his hands and thus can claim anything he likes," Castor said. "Proving those claims is an entirely different matter, however."

Later Thursday, Pennlive.com reported that one of Penn State's insurers maintained "in 1976, a child allegedly reported to PSU's Head Coach Joseph Paterno that he (the child) was sexually molested by Sandusky."

In addition, unnamed Penn State assistant coaches reportedly witnessed "inappropriate conduct" between Sandusky and children in 1987 and 1988, and a 1988 case reportedly was called to the attention of the school's athletic director.

Paterno's family issued a statement that read, "An allegation now about an alleged event 40 years ago, as represented by a single line in a court document regarding an insurance issue, with no corroborating evidence, does not change the facts. Joe Paterno did not, at any time, cover up conduct by Jerry Sandusky."

Paterno was fired by Penn State in November 2011 for his involvement in the Sandusky scandal, and died of cancer two months later at age 85.

In the insurance case, Penn State is trying to recoup more than $60 million it has paid to settle dozens of civic claims related to Sandusky.